ROTTEN TOMATOES: Wanna Hear the ENTIRE "Superman Returns" Score?

Wanna Hear the ENTIRE "Superman Returns" Score?

by Scott Weinberg | June 20, 2006

Now here's a nifty piece of movie promotionalizing: Superhero Hype! is, with the complete permission of Warner Bros., hosting the entirety of John Ottman's "Superman Returns" score, which you can listen to any time you darn well feel like it. (P.S. Fans of John Williams will not be disappointed.)

We should thank Rhino Records, actually, for the score, so here's their press release:

The thrilling and dramatic score from Superman Returns, the highly anticipated film featuring the Man of Steel's latest heroic adventure, arrives in stores June 27, with nearly an hour of music from award-winning composer John Ottman (Fantastic Four, X2). The score album will be enhanced with an exclusive video interview with the film's director, Bryan Singer (X2: X-Men United, X-Men, The Usual Suspects), a featurette on the making of the score and two trailers for the film.

Recorded with a 97-piece orchestra led by conductor Damon Intrabartolo, SUPERMAN RETURNS: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE features Ottman's epic score including his unique twists on themes that John Williams composed for the original 1978 film, such as the classic main theme, "Superman March." Superman Returns stars newcomer Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Parker Posey and Kevin Spacey. Released by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film will open nationwide on June 28.

SUPERMAN RETURNS: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE (Rhino) will be available June 27 at all retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested retail price of $18.98.

The score album also includes liner notes penned by Ottman, who writes about his admiration for the 1978 original and its Williams score. "When Bryan (Singer) called informing me we were going to be making this film, I could actually feel my neck and shoulders tightening up. I mean, this is the Man of Steel. This is THE superhero. Why are we fooling with this!? Soon thereafter I swear I could see an apparition of John Williams, like Obi Wan Kenobi, waving his fingers, mouthing, 'Don't screw this up." It wasn't as much the weight of also editing the picture, but foremost, the musical behemoth and responsibility ahead."

SUPERMAN RETURNS: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE follows the release of Sound Of Superman, a collection of rising stars paying musical tribute to the red-caped American icon, which will be released by Rhino on June 13.

Anyway, enough reading. Click here for the Superscore.

Related Items

Celeb:	John Ottman
	Kevin Spacey
	Bryan Singer
	Parker Posey
	John Williams
	Kate Bosworth
	Brandon Routh
Movie:	Superman Returns
	The Usual Suspects
	X-Men
	X2: X-Men United
	Fantastic Four

(1-10 of 10 posts) | Reply

rokoko writes:
on Jun 20 2006 05:10 AM

[b]Not good[/b]
This pales in comparison to John Williams work on Superman The Movie. I personally can't stand this new score, and like the movie, I am disillusioned by the direction this film seems to have gone in. The music hasn't got the character or identitiy of Williams effort. It isn't BAD music, it just isn't what i'd expect from a movie so ridiculously over hyped and lauded so fr by critics who prbably don't respect what a Superman movie should be in 2006.

(Reply to this)

hinduchocolate writes:
on Jun 20 2006 08:03 AM

I guess I just disagree, I really enjoy this score. Much as is the theme of this film, there are attempts to not break away from what Donner, Reeves, and Williams did in the original, but to rather build off their work. This score is just another example. Two of my favorite sections of the original score are in this composition (i.e. the "superman march" and the bit that was in the first teaser trailer). This on its own is "character". Nonwithstanding the references to Williams' score, this work has that weird pseudo-gregorian chant thing that you hear in Halo and Duel of the Fates which I just can't get enough of. The pieces with the violin and the piano can also be particularly emotional if they are complemented with equally potent visuals on the screen (which is the friggin purpose of music in movies anyways). The part of the score around the 30th minute is particularly menacing and truly serves its purpose if its meant to be involved with a diabolical plot. My favorite part of the new stuff is the around the 40th minute, really powerful and interesting use of the piano and drums. And the last 6 minutes i can imagine being very very touching. This is quite well done, and I'm quite impressed by it.

(Reply to this)

pradeep55 writes:
on Jun 20 2006 09:54 AM

Sounds ok

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brasco2069 writes:
on Jun 20 2006 10:20 AM

[b]what?[/b]
the soundtrack sounds great, what are you people complaining about? Everybody's a critic. If all these critics out there could actually produce something worthwhile, we wouldn't have any bad movies anymore now would we =)

the music is very good.

(Reply to this)

Roadhg67 writes:
on Jun 20 2006 12:04 PM

In reply to this comment (#838444)
People are entitled to their own opinions about anything. I hate the arguement "well, you shouldn't complain because you do it any better." Just because a talented person creates something, it does not mean we have to like it. People have different musical tastes just as the do about films. I'm sure you don't like every film because you "can't do any better." So stop complaining about opinions.

On a side note: The score is fine, nothing truly fantastic, but good.

(Reply to this)

brasco2069 writes:
on Jun 20 2006 12:16 PM

In reply to this comment (#838445)
[b]No kidding[/b]
I never said he or anyone else isn't entitled to their opinion. I said #1 - opinions are like assholes, everyone's got them. and #2 - being some in the arts, it gets rather annoying when you work hard or something, pour your heart and soul into it, sweat over it for months like this composer has for this score, only to get people who listen to it once and say 'it sucks.' Sure he's entitled to say it, and I'd never want to silence critics. But at the end of the day, people need to realize that someone's opinion who listens to a soundtrack while having nothing to do with either the movie or script or effects or score itself isn't really all that telling. In fact, it isn't worth anything. I liken it to a little kid watching you build a house. Does he know anything about building a house, or about construction, or about building materials, or blueprints, or the skill required? No, he knows nothing about the effort it takes to build it from the ground up. But there he is everyday, critiquing your technique and telling you it sucks. How much of that can you take before you turn around and yell, 'shut UP!'

that being said, let people say whatever they want!

(Reply to this)

BatmanFan28 writes:
on Jun 20 2006 01:35 PM

Score is amazing!

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Zen Bullet writes:
on Jun 20 2006 06:55 PM

John Ottman is really great at finding the right sounds to support a film scene. However, he has never appeared very interested in generating distinctive THEMES. He's still quite impressive at what he aims for.

On the other hand, John Williams is the uber-master of notable theme-making.

Mixing these two composers' sensibilities is a bit iffy, I think. It'll work, but I'm a bit dasappointed that there wasn't any way to build on William's work with some NEW major themes. As the score is, my favorite bits are still the ones composed by Williams . . . in which case I see no need to purchase the soundrack. But I still think the music will support the film very well.

If they had gotten Brian Tyler(just listen to his "Children of Dune" score!), Klaus Badelt(Time Machine=awsome music, Pirates of the Caribbean=classic) . . . or Hans Zimmer, it might have been possible to branch out some new themes.

(Reply to this)

hellhole writes:
on Jun 20 2006 08:45 PM

Listening to it now... this sounds fucking amazing.

I am pumped as hell for this movie.

(Reply to this)

ash303 writes:
on Jun 22 2006 01:12 AM

[b]i like john williams[/b]
so i dig it.

(Reply to this)